A BIG Recipe for Creating and Donating‏

Whoa.
Our biggest recipe yet! The Feeding the Soul Foundation CD Release Party! Seconds please!!!!

For the last 5 months myself, Vallie Gilley & Cat Bramhall have been meeting, eating and creating for a day that has quickly become my favorite of all times....December 18th, 2010. I had an image what that day would look like....my favorite people on stage, my favorite people in the audience and my favorite music being played loud and clear. Apparently all you have to do is think it and BOOM...be ready for it. Often when I plan a big event I create my own recipe of details. Then on the day of the event the recipe gets wet and you get to create it even BETTER then the recipe you started with. I love that!

11 musicians
Over 30 songs played
400 guests
8 creative craftsmen
5 tables of amazing food
Over 20 volunteers
5 amazing sound and light Gods
1 venue with 2 helpful Goddesses
Thousands of dollars raised for 2 worthy beneficiaries
and
my cute daddy

Kept warm and toasty...perfect...THAT is exactly what I ordered.
I used to say I couldn't cook. I guess my recipe and creation just looks different is all. :)

When I think of that special night I get goosebumps. The images that flash into my head are those of musicians rehearsing in the back, hugging, my best friends greeting our guests, arts being shared and the most beautiful music I have ever heard being played for a inspired crowd. My musician friends are the most talented in the world. And it makes me so proud and honored to share them with new and old fans. My life has been forever brightened by these beautiful souls and I will continue to create events to make sure the world is listening to them and their greatness. I love them so.

Speaking of loving souls...Vallie Gilley, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, to the top of my mel-lon...YOU, my friend, are a gift from the heavens and I am honored to be your co-chef in this kitchen of contribution.

Cat, your gift of balancing the crazy in me is beyond appreciated. I thank you for every coin you count and process you create. THANK YOU FRIEND!

As for me...I am completely proud and happy with the work this team is putting out there. I say "team" because at times it may seem like it's just 3 of us, however, it is a WHOLE community that creates this goodness, I am just so honored I am part of it.

Experience the magic....Feeding the Soul Vol. 1 - Family Dinner: Benefit CD & Cookbooklet

In love, music and creation,
Melissa

These are my friends. I love them.
"I wanna THANK YOU!"

A Christmas Miracle.

For a girl whose first sentence was “do self,” the work I do now is humbling.  Nights like last night can’t be done “self.” Indeed it takes hundreds of do-gooders, volunteers, sponsors, friends – cutting us a deal, pitching in, bending the rules, coming to our rescue.  Over and over again, until I finally understand that I’m not in charge.  That if we give as much as we can stand we’ll all come out ahead.

At Feeding the Soul, we call that creative generosity, and it’s an idea I am wholly committed to. 

·      I believe that people deserve an opportunity to vote for Good with their entertainment dollar, and will choose to do so gladly.

·      I believe that talented artists deserve to make a living making live music, and to be paid fairly. (Even if we can’t pay them what they’re actually WORTH). 

·      I believe that the problems of the world, and the organizations that do the hard work of grappling with them, deserve as much support as possible, from every available source.  They should be celebrated, rewarded.

·      I believe the best way to battle the degeneration of journalism into political advertising and entertainment trivia is by creating genuine good news to take its place.

For me, community is an act of faith.  Last night was a miracle. 

There should be a better word for “thank you.”  It doesn’t seem like enough.

Wishing the happiest of holidays to the multitudes that made last night happen, who will contribute to the same in the future, and who feed our souls.

~ Cat

Day Old Johnson - High Friend

Recipe for Day Old Johnson

Ingredients:

• ·      2 Day-Old Pastries
• ·      One steaming cup of Yerba Mate with a splash of almond milk
• ·      1 Cup of Poetry
• ·      ½ Cup of Music Notes
• ·      1¾ Cups of LOVE
• ·      2 Cups of Creativity
• ·      ¼ Cup of Humor
• ·      1 ½ Cups of Talent
• ·      Pinch of Emotion
• ·      Dash of Imagination
• ·      Endless Amounts of Amazing

Steps:

1.     First eat the yummy day old pastries and drink Mate to fill the belly, heart and soul.
2.     Pre heat oven to 325 degrees.
3.     Mix all other ingredients up to imagination in a big bowl till batter is smooth and velvety
4.     Take batter and scoop big heaping scoops on an ungreased cookie sheet.
5.     Bake till golden brown about 10 minutes.
6.     Let chill for 15 minutes then drizzle with amazing.
7.     Now enjoy.
 

Yields Endless Amounts of Coolness

What to say about Day Old……There is so much were should I start!

Day Old Johnson is the greatest songwriter in the universe. He has collaborated and performed with so many wonderful artists like PT Bruiser, The Natters, Harry Commando and Bushwalla. We are so very blessed to have worked with Day Old Johnson on this Feeding The Soul project.  With his musical talent and studio knowledge we were able to accomplish so much.  He is a true community partner and is always a yes for even the most unreasonable request. We have so much gratitude for him and are excited to have learned so much.

If you get a chance to see him in concert definitely check him out. His music will delight your ear fancy, fill your heart with love and make you dance all night long.

Thank you friend for everything!

Love~

Vallie

Jessie Payo – Mother

Jessie Payo’s heart is so huge it’s hard to believe there’s room for the rest of her in there – especially that big, gorgeous voice and warm smile. She is a generous, loving part of our musical community – and a bright light in any room she enters. You may recognize Jessie from the film Rising Stars, her first major role in a feature film. And you’re sure to be hearing her on the soundtrack with Leon Thomas III, star of Nickelodeon’s Victorious, and performing the theme song for the new show “Hubworld” on the Hub Network. We know Jessie as “jump-shot girl,” for her skill at leaping exactly on time for the camera.


Jessie is part singer, part songwriter, part actress, part dancer, and entirely fabulous. Every time I see her I’m left believing she could accomplish absolutely anything and make it look effortless. She has converted her success with Jupiter Rising into an exciting solo career. Do yourself the favor of hearing her bluesy crooning, full-out rock, and everything in between. Jessie is currently recording her first solo EP, set for release in February; this marks her first experiencing co-producing and writing her own work.


“Mother”, Jessie’s song for our CD, is a moving response to the triumph of Vallie and her mom over a debilitating disease. It’s also a tribute of love and respect to all mothers. We are thrilled by her generous offering.
~ Cat

http://www.jessiepayo.com/

Event Carpooling with Feeding the Soul Foundation‏

Wow! How great is it that our community reaches and always wants to contribute!

Thanks Katie B for creating this carpooling experience!!

We love you!

FTSF

 

Hey friends,

 

I hope all of you are as excited about the Feeding the Soul CD release party as I am.  For those of you that know me, yes, I rode my bike here.  For those of you that don’t, I’m a friend of the FTSF and a bicycle-loving tour manager who has spent the last year working on pedal-powered, self-supported bicycle music tours.  Through that work, I’ve come to love finding ways to inspire and encourage people to simplify their lives by jumping on their bikes to run errands and cutting down car usage to relieve themselves of fuel consumption.

 

I’m so inspired by the work that Feeding the Soul has been doing to help local charities, and I’m so proud of these girls for coming so far in the past year that I wanted to contribute some of my energy to the night.  While it would be tons of fun to encourage a huge bike ride to the show, even I will admit that a 15 mile ride home after hours of booty shaking might be a little too ambitious.  So, instead I’m here to encourage everyone to carpool to the show.  Let’s have a sold out show with a half empty parking lot! 

 

To help out with the carpooling process, my friends at Zimride have setup a super simple event carpool page HERE.  This is the same carpool interface that Jack Johnson used on his recent To The Sea Tour and that tons of other great artists are starting to use to encourage their fans to carpool to shows.  All you have to do is enter your starting location, whether you prefer to be a driver or passenger, and what time you want to head to the show (definitely go at 5 so you don’t miss the holiday craft fair!).  Once you enter all of your desired ride info you can login with Facebook and you’re done!  Zimride will match you up with other folks in your area looking to carpool to the show.  Not only is this a great way to help our sweet Mother Earth, it’s also a great way to meet new equally super awesome friends in your neighborhood.  And it’ll give you a full car of people to delve into deep discussion about the heavenly goodness that are Vallie’s macaroons.

 

 Again, here is the link to the Feeding the Soul Foundation CD Release Party Zimride Event Page.  Share it with anyone and everyone!

 

Can’t wait to see all of your smiling faces at the show!

 

Oodles of love,

katie b

 

 

 

 

Raining Jane - From Me To You

Can I just say LOVE at first sight!

That’s what I think of when I said pick me pick me to write this blog for

Raining Jane…

I met these ladies at a community gathering a few years back and I was like...who are those incredible girls!? They are funny, beautiful and 100% wonderful, and that was before I even heard them perform. Later that night I experienced them as a band and I was in deep, becoming an instant super fan. This eclectic rock-folk band out of Los Angeles California rocked my world.  The combination of three part vocal harmony, guitar, percussion, cello, sitar and amazing makes Raining Jane.

Mia, Chaska, Mona and Becky were the first people I called when starting the Feeding the Soul project and right off the bat they were enrolled. I’m so appreciative for these ladies because not only are they talented and lovely they reflect the true meaning of contribution.  Whether it’s helping aid Haiti, being instruments for fire relief victims or empowering and inspiring young girls to find their voices at

Rock n’ Roll Camp for Girls La these ladies have heart and know the true sense of giving and community.

Find these beautiful women on tour with Sara Bareilles soon! 

So “FROM ME TO YOU”

Feeding the Soul is so blessed and grateful to share space with you Raining Jane.

Love~

Vallie